The Universe Of Six
by Darwin Tremor
Summary: After Red saves Darwin Tremor, her husband, near the Nomad Casino, the two return home to tell Glory and Tsugi that Jeeves and Lester didn't make it. This story will be about the survival of the remaining members of the Tremor family. It will teach you about undying love, tragedy, triumph and soul mates.
1. Killing Partners

"_We talked, together sharpening a knife, like killing partners for a life. Hey, we can hide the bodies on the ride home. Now here we are. We're licking skin to wipe us clean. Strike the match, pour gasoline._" Darwin could hear their song play in his mind and he felt like it was the musical bridge that was going to lead him to his eventual judgment. A bullet made its home into his left thigh and his right shoulder, but none of them were fatal shots. He knew he wasn't alone, so he decided to play dead before his killer would come back and finish the job. Near the rooftop's entrance, Hollis gets into the Pontiac and he tosses the empty M1911A1 over his shoulder and then he eases the key into the ignition, until the tip of a Glock makes him freeze. "_Get out of the car, now._"

It was the voice of an enraged woman, a determined and vengeful one. "_You're pointing the gun at the wrong person, Miss. Do you realize whom I just shot?_" She digs the Glock harder into his cheek enough to bruise him and he gets out of the car, holding his hands up. "_There are two things wrong with your statement. Yes, I realize who you just shot._" Hollis shifts his view, trying to see her at the corner of his eye and he keeps his hands up. "_What's the second thing?_" Her wedding ring glares in the sun and she turns her body to the side, placing her index finger on the trigger. "_It's Mrs., not Miss. Mrs. Darwin Tremor._" Hollis closes his eyes in complete defeat. "_Shit._"

Darwin's wife pulls the trigger and the first bullet shoots through his skin, shattering his teeth. Hollis clutches his bleeding mouth and she lowers the gun to his shaking body as it falls, unloading the entire clip into him. The hot shells hit the cement, some landing on his clothes and burning a hole through his sweater and she lowers her hand. The empty Glock rattles on the ground and she runs over to her husband, kneeling down beside his body. "_Darwin, you're alive! Everything's going to be okay. I killed that bastard. I love you so much._" Tears stream down her face and she wipes them away as she surveys the damage to his body, pressing her palm down on his shoulder. He winces, touching the back of her hand. "_What are you doin' here, Red?_"

She kisses him passionately, tangling her tears in his stubble and she sighs against his lips. "_I don't know, Chief. Something told me to come and find you. Tsugi and Glory are back home._" His eyes grow distant and the police sirens ring over the edge of the rooftop. "_Tsugi and Glory._" Red sees the look in his eyes and she looks over at the shattered windows of the Nomad. "_Darwin, where's Lester and Jeeves?_" He reaches up and cups her cheek with his bloody hand, turning her eyes away from the fading mayhem. "_Red, I'm gonna need you to be real strong for me right now._"

Red touches the back of his hand, sliding it from her cheek and an unspeakable tsunami of fear and sorrow surrounds her. "_Darwin, where's Lester and Jeeves?_" She repeats again with a little more urgency. Darwin puts pressure on his good arm and he slowly sits up, grabbing her hand. He looks up into her green eyes, deeply exhaling. "_They didn't make it, baby._" Red shakes her head in disbelief and she gets to her feet, trying to run to the entrance. Darwin lunges forward and he winces, blood squirts from his thigh. "_We can't go home without them! There is no home without them!_" Darwin forces himself to get to his feet and she yanks free from his bloody grip, running to the edge of the rooftop to see what's going on.

Darwin falls to his knees, hollering in pain and he pounds his fist against the ground, getting to his feet again to limp to her. Down on the streets, four paramedic vehicles are parked in front of the entrance of the Nomad with onlookers and new crews surrounding the area. Red hopefully searches the sea of people, trying to spot two familiar faces. "_Please, please, please._" A news reporter fixes her hair and stands in front of the camera, making a report. "_We're here at the Nomad casino where a gruesome assassination attempt has been made on the life of Buddy 'Aces' Israel, a famous entertainer. He has been sent to the hospital in critical condition and we are now waiting for more news on the whereabouts on the leader of the Tremor family who's presumed missing._" She touches her earpiece. "_Wait, we've just got word on his brothers. Here they come now._" Red leans over the edge, expecting to see them in handcuffs.

Two gurneys roll out with a few police officers surrounding them and one of officers is holding a bloody chainsaw and another officer is holding a shotgun in his gloved hands. Red opens her mouth to scream, but Darwin's hand muffles it and he pulls her away. "_Goddamn it, Red, don't you look._" Tears spill down her cheeks and she twists to get out of his grip and he wraps his arms around her to pin her forearms to her sides. "_They're dead! Jeeves and Lester are dead!_" He presses his cheek against her shoulder and closes his eyes. "_We gotta go home, darlin'. The police are goin' to be swarmin' this area soon and we need to get movin'. I'm sorry, baby._" Red bows her head and she turns in his arms, hugging him. "_What are we going to do, Darwin? How are we suppose to go home and tell Glory and Tsugi that Jeeves and Lester are -_" She chokes on the word, unable to say it and she helps him limp to the car, putting him in the passenger's seat.

Red opens the trunk and she grabs the medical kit, hugging it to her chest. She smells a whisper of Lester's Aspen cologne, thick tears ease down her cheeks and she slams the trunk shut, kneeling down at her husband's side. "_We have to focus on our survival now. If we think about what happened, it'll get us killed._" He takes the kit and holds her hand. "_You're our ride home, baby._" Darwin kisses her, closing his eyes and he feels her wet lips quiver as she tries not to sob. "_I can barely breathe._" She gives his hand a squeeze and walks over to the driver's seat, stepping on Hollis' back to get in. The Pontiac roars alive and they drive into the darkness of the underbelly in the rooftop parking lot.

Darwin opens the kit and begins to clean his wounds, patting his shoulder with gauze to soak up the blood and he threads a needle, stitching himself up. He lowers his seat, keeping out of view from the onlookers and passing police cars. "_How many of them are out there?_" Red glances around and she drives a little faster. "_I've only seen three police cars and two ambulances. There are more news vans than anything._" She wipes her eyes and she stops at a red light, looking down at him. "_I love you, Chief._" Darwin bandages his shoulder, biting the thread off and he grabs the surgical scissors from the kit, cutting his pants off at the knee. He keeps his tone focused and distant. "_We should stay at the Rodeway Inn for the night and lay low. You need to check in for us and I'll be waitin' around the corner._"

The streetlights turn on and the light turns green. Red turns to the right and parks the car on the side of a gas station, taking Darwin's face in her hands. "_Darwin, it's okay._" He tries to avoid her hands and she grabs her face again, whispering softly. "_It's okay._" Tears fall from his eyes and Red starts to sob again, kissing his lips. "_Less than two hours ago, they were here in this car with me._" He wraps one tattooed arm around her and rubs her back. "_I don't know how Tsugi's going to react to losing Lester, but I know how Glory's going to react. It's going to be disastrous._" Darwin and Red hold each other for a moment, the broken streetlight above them flickers and Red kisses the spiral tattoo on his shoulder. "_We still have you, Chief, our fearless leader. You're still alive._" He tosses the surgical scissors in the kit and he slide the leg of fabric off, stuffing it under his knee to catch the blood dripping out of his thigh. "_I'm still alive, baby. I'll do what I promised to do, if anythin' were to happen to Jeeves and Lester. They would've done the same for me._"

Red watches people come in and out of the gas station and she wipes some blood off her sleeves, rolling them up to hide the smears. "_I think we're going to need something stronger that a mini bar tonight. I'll be back._" She gets out of the Pontiac and runs into the store, purchasing bottles of hard liquor. Darwin lifts himself up in the lowered seat and he ducks down when patrons from the gas station eye his car. Red places the bottles in the back and drives off, sweeping below high streetlights. "_You know, Lester was just tellin' me how him and Tsugi were tryin' to have a baby when we were waitin' and Jeeves was sayin' how much he missed home._" He reaches back, grabbing a bottle by its neck and he unscrews the cap, drinking a cup's worth of whiskey.

The old tires of the Pontiac skip across the worn down cement of the streets and they pull up to the Rodeway Inn. Darwin cups his mouth, tossing a few painkillers back and he swallows them down. "_I'll be right back. Will you be able to get out by yourself?_" He nods his head, getting drunk with each passing minute and he motions to the lobby with the bottle in his hand. "_It'll only take a few minutes for these pills to kick in. Check us in and I'll wait on the side of the buildin'._" Red kisses his cheek and gets out, waving her hand over her shoulder as she walks into the lobby to check in. Darwin deeply exhales and speaks out loud, whispering. "_How in the hell am I supposed to tell Glory and Tsugi that you guys are dead when I'm still havin' trouble believin' it myself?_" He rubs his tired eyes and he flexes his shoulder, checking to see if the pills are working. The pain begins in small waves and it trembles until it eventually vanishes.

The creaky car door opens and Darwin steps out, tucking the medical kit under his arm with the bag of bottles in the same hand. He walks to the back, opens the trunk and he grabs a duffel bag, limping to the corner of the building to wait for Red to fetch him. He presses his back against the wall, closing his eyes and he listens to the sounds around him. A few silent minutes pass and Red peeks around the corner. "_The room is ready, honey._" She takes his hand and leads him to the room, opening the door. The smell of hotel sheets and faded carpet fills their senses and Darwin turns the light on, locking the door once they step inside. He peels off his black jacket and he limps over to the bathroom, flicking the light on to survey the smaller room.

Red opens the duffel bag and begins to take out his change of clothes, pausing when her hand touches one of Lester's shirts. She slowly grips it in her pale hand, pulling it out and she pulls off her stained sweater, putting the shirt on. Her eyes start to fill with tears again and she takes out Tedders, Jeeves' teddy bear. Darwin leans against the doorframe, watching her unravel and she comes to him with his change of clothes in her other hand, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "_I know, baby. I know._" They two mourning lovers' hold each other for several minutes, standing in silence and Darwin kisses her forehead, taking his clothes. "_You get comfortable and I'll take a shower and tend to my wounds._"

He turns to step into the bathroom and Red climbs on the bed closest to the wall, wiping her puffy eyes. She lies down on her side, hugging Tedders to her chest and she bends her knees closer to her elbows, pulling the collar of Lester's shirt to her nose. She closes her eyes and the smell of his cologne triggers a memory. "_Will ya hand me that, darlin'?_" Red moves her hand across the bed and closes her fingers around what she imagines to be the dishtowel. "_Sure, Badger._" Suddenly, she picture's herself in the kitchen of the Tremor house, Lester's territory and the two of them are standing in front of the sink, doing the dishes together. John Denver is playing on the all-country radio station and she sways her hips to the music, drying the plates. "_It's early ta rise, early in the sack. Thank God Imma country boy._" Lester softly sings along in his smooth, deep voice and he bumps his elbow against Red's. "_I love you, Red._" She turns her green eyes to him, tucking her curly red hair behind her ear. "_I love you too, Les._"

Red opens her eyes, feeling her heart grow heavier with misery and she stares down into the teddy bear's black eyes, tracing his fake smile with her fingertip. She hears her voice in her head, getting swept away by another memory. "_Merry Christmas, Samson. This one's from me._" Red closes her eyes again and she sees Jeeves unwrapping his present, ribbons fly everywhere. He pries the box open with his large hand and his cheeks puff up in a grin, pulling out a new teddy bear. He nuzzles it, hugging the bear to his wide chest. "_He's the nicest bear in the world. Thank yew, Red._" Red covers her mouth, trying to breathe calmly to stop herself from sobbing. "_The second nicest bear in the world. You're welcome, honey._" She buries her face into the pillow, soaking it with tears and a hand slides down her forearm. Darwin lies down against her back and pulls her into his arms. "_Let it out, Red. I got you._" She continues to cry, burying herself into his arms and she cries until she lulls herself to sleep.

Darwin holds her, but he stays awake, staring at the other half of the empty hotel room. He attempts to close his eyes, but the first image he sees is anything but a dream. His nerve damaged hand twitches and he can feel the water from the sprinklers rain down on him and he sees Jeeves land on his chainsaw with Lester lying motionless on his back a few feet away. His blue eyes open and he stares out the window, eyeing the darkness. Darwin rubs his thumb against Red's hand and he just stares, refusing to sleep.

Hours go by and the nightmare of the afternoon before turns into a horrid reality the next morning. Red rubs her eyes and quickly leans up when she realizes that Darwin isn't beside her. "_Chief?_" She softly calls out and she gets off the bed when there's no answer. "_Darwin?_" The bathroom door is wide open and she runs to the front door, swinging it open in panic. She bumps into his chest and he touches her hip, glancing inside the hollow room. "_Is there somethin' wrong?_" He looks around and steps inside, placing a carrier of coffee down on the table. Red sighs in relief and touches his chest. "_I'm sorry, I panicked when I couldn't find you, especially after yesterday._"

He hands her a cup of coffee from the carrier and he takes his. "_Yeah, I woke up early and the coffee pot didn't work, so I went out to buy coffee for us. We're gonna need it._" She stares into his eyes and touches the side of his face; Darwin lowers the cup from his lips. "_You didn't sleep at all, did you?_" He smiles with tired eyes, rubbing her hip. "_I just never thought I'd dread comin' home._" Red's expression softens and she bites her lip, worried about Tsugi and Glory. She sits down on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs. "_Do you know who killed them?_" Darwin rubs his fingers together, a sign of boiling rage and he looks off to the side, seeing the man's face in his mind. "_There were two people involved. One was a man in a suit. He was black, about an inch shorter than me and he was bald. He was there when we ran out of the elevator and Israel's security staff was escortin' him. He had a cut above his left eyebrow._"

Darwin rubs his eyes with his open hand, sitting on the edge of the table. "_There was a woman, too. She was definitely an assassin. She had black hair, about five feet, six inches tall. She was about a few seconds from shootin' me in the face when I was able to push her aside and slide into the elevator. I don't know what happened to them._" Red's chest begins to heave in anger and she stands up. "_We have to find out if they're alive, Darwin. If they are, we need to track them down and kill them._" He nods his head, agreeing to some extent. "_That's true, but we got bigger things to worry about, like Glory and Tsugi. We're only a few hours away from home._" Darwin touches her chin and slowly stands up, staring down into her eyes. "_Revenge will come later. We need to focus on our family now._" Red grips his shirt in her hands and he squeezes her backside, deeply kissing her with his eyes closed. She leans into the kiss, pressing her body against his and Darwin places his forehead on hers. "_I'm so grateful that you're alive._"

She gently rubs his bandaged shoulder and Darwin pats her lower back. "_Give me a few days to heal up and you'll be mine, darlin'._" She kisses his lips and turns to pack everything back inside the duffel bag. "_You're going to have to hold Glory, Chief. She's going to sob uncontrollably and she might break things and she might run away. You need to be the one to keep her safe._" He sits down on the bed and picks up the phone, punching in the numbers to check out. The phone rings. "_Yeah, we're in room 103 and we're gonna check out. We'll drop the key in the lock box. Yeah, thanks._" Darwin hangs up and he touches his shoulder, wrinkling his eyebrows. "_I'll be sure to hold her, baby. It's gonna be rough for us all._"

They step out of the room and Darwin drops the key in the box on the wall, shutting the door. He takes Red's hand and they walk back to the Pontiac, brushing past bushes to get into their car. Darwin starts the engine and Red shoves the duffel bag in the backseat, taking his hand again. They look at each other and Darwin reverses, pulling out of the Rodeway Inn.


	2. Bad News

One hour passes by and then another, each mile brings them closer to home. "_I'm scared, Darwin._" They enter the long road heading to their hometown and he nods his head, still holding her hand. "_I am, too._" They both keep their eyes straight, trying to mentally prepare themselves for the torture ahead. The shops were beginning to open; the farmers were setting up their stands to sell their fresh vegetables, homemade jam and straw hats. Darwin felt bittersweet to be home and so did Red. The tall shops reflect on the Pontiac's window and they pass the town sign, only a few miles away from home now.

After awhile, the Pontiac vanishes off to the right into a wall of bushes and the tires touch down on the dirt road leading to the face of the Tremor house. "_Everythin' will be fine, baby. We'll do this together and we'll keep the family safe._"

The engine rumbles off and Darwin narrows his eyes down at the cottage by the sea, seeing smoke coming out from the chimney. In front of the cottage, kneeling in the flowerbed is Tsugi, Lester's wife. Her black hair waves in the wind and she leans over, picking weeds. The tattoo on her lower back appears; a lotus blossom and she wipes her forehead, pulling her gloves off. She stands up, discarding the weeds into the trash and she heads into the cottage, shutting the door behind her. Darwin grips the steering wheel and he stares at the main house, searching for movement in the living room, or kitchen. "_Tsugi's down at the cottage and I think Glory's in her bedroom. You talk to Tsugi and I'll talk to Glory. We can do this._" He looks over at her, pressing his lips against the back of her hand. "_Are you ready?_"

Red stares at the house and quietly opens the car door. "_Am I ready to tell Tsugi that her soul mate is dead? No, Darwin. I'm not ready. I never thought I had to be ready. I wish I could just wake up from this nightmare and run into Jeeves and Lester's arms._" She swallows hard and steps out, walking around the front to head across the yard to go down to the cottage, whispering a prayer each step of the way. Darwin opens the creaky door and he slams it shut, making sure that Glory hears it and comes running. He slowly limps up the porch and he opens the door. "_Darwin, you're home! Red said she wanted to find you because she had a worried! I missed you! Are you okay? Did you bring me a present? Where's Big Bear and Badger?_" A little brown-eyed woman with curly brown hair flings herself into his arms and Darwin holds her, closing his eyes. She pats his chest and he reaches back, locking the front door. "_Squirt, there's somethin' I need to tell you. It's real important that you listen to me._" He holds her hand, making sure that she's within reach and he sits down on the armrest of the couch, pulling Glory to sit down on his good leg. She looks around, oblivious to the news she's about to hear and Darwin rubs the back of his neck. "_Somethin' really bad happened, baby._"

Down by the sea, Red steps onto the front porch and she opens the cottage door, seeing Tsugi washing dishes in the kitchen. The Japanese woman wipes her hands on her apron and she turns to see Red, gently smiling at her return. "_Red, welcome back!_" Tsugi walks over and embraces her, kissing her on the cheek. "_Are the boys up at the house unpacking?_" Red blinks her watery eyes, trying not to fall apart and Tsugi stares at her, seeing everything that she didn't want to see. A long moment of silence passes between them and Tsugi turns to head back into the kitchen, removing the apron. She opens the cabinets and starts to put the dishes away. Red wipes her eyes, watching her. "_Tsugi, I need to tell you something._" The black-haired woman slowly closes the cabinet and stares out the window, looking up at the house. "_You already did._" Tsugi bows her head, gripping the lip of the sink and she whispers. "_Lester._" She picks up a plate and throws it out the window; the shattering noise rings up to the main house.

Glory jumps from the sound and she looks at Darwin, tilting her head. "_Darwin, what's happening?_" He steadies her with his gaze and she pushes at his chest, trying to get free. He touches the back of her hand. "_It's about Jeeves._" Her brown eyes go wide and she turns to look out the window, trying to break loose from his tight hold. "_Let me go, I don't want to talk about Jeeves. I want to see him. Why is he taking so long to come home? Where is he? Tell him to come home._" She presses her palm on his stitched thigh and Darwin releases her, wincing in pain. Glory runs to the window and stares out, fogging up the glass with her breath. "_Darwin, why can't you answer me?_" He walks over and touches her shoulders, turning her around. "_Glory._" He crouches down to stare into her eyes, speaking with an unsteady voice. "_He can't come home, baby._" Darwin lowers his voice. "_Jeeves is dead._"

The glass falls into the sink and outside of the cottage window and Red embraces Tsugi from behind. "_I'm so sorry, Tsugi._" The grieving wife turns and untangles the comforting arms around her, walking into the living room to breathe. "_Lester can't be dead, he can't be!_" Red follows her and swallows the lump in her throat, trying to steady her quivering voice. "_There's something else._" Tsugi clutches her heaving chest, waiting for another sword to cut her heart and she holds her breath. "_Jeeves is dead, too._" Their endurance vanishes and Tsugi falls to her knees and then Red embraces her again, refusing to let go. "_Lester and Jeeves, dead. They can't be dead! Who will take care of us?_" Red rocks her back and forth, rubbing her shivering body and her tears mingle with Tsugi's. "_Darwin will take care of us. He's up at the house with Glory. I was able to save him._" Tsugi bites her fingernail and she shakes her head against Red's chest, leaning back to look at her with ghostly eyes. "_No, Red. You don't understand. I don't mean the three of us._" She slowly lowers her hand to her stomach, touching her lips with her other hand. "_I'm pregnant._" The color drains from Red face and she looks at her stomach. "_Oh, my God._"

Up at the main house, Darwin continues to stare at Glory, explaining what happened. "_We went on a hit to the Nomad Casino. A man shot and killed Lester when we were fightin' the security guards. Jeeves was tryin' to avenge him and he ended up dyin', too. I was able to escape and Red saved me on the rooftop._" He pauses, searching her eyes for any life. "_Glory, did you hear what I just said? Baby, talk to me, please._" Glory grows despondent and Darwin lightly taps the side of her face. "_Please, say somethin'._" She slowly looks into his eyes and she screams, pushing at him. "_Jeeves and Lester aren't dead! You're lying to me! I want them to come home now!_" She continues to scream and Darwin wraps his arms around her, hugging her back to his chest. He drags her away from the window and kitchen, keeping her away from anything dangerous. "_They can't come back, Glory. They're gone._" She looks up at him, thick tears slip from her big eyes. "_They're gone, baby._" Glory begins to cry uncontrollably, as expected and she screams until her voice goes hoarse and then she bows her head, going limp in his arms.

In front of the hearth, Red continues to hold Tsugi, stroking her black curtain of hair and she takes her face in her hands. "_We'll raise your baby together as a family. We'll tell your child stories of his, or her father and uncle._" She closes her eyes, touching their foreheads together. "_I'm so proud of you, Tsugi. Lester would be so happy._" Tsugi cradles her stomach with her hand. "_Lester was supposed to come home and I was planning on telling him tonight. My soul mate is gone._" Those words filled Red's chest with ice water and she holds Tsugi even tighter. "_I'm so sorry._" Red looks over Tsugi's shoulder up at the house.

Glory curls into a ball in Darwin's arms, trying to vanish into him and he carries her to the couch, holding her against his chest. "_Red's down at the cottage tellin' Tsugi what happened. She's probably doin' the same thing I'm doin' now._" Darwin touches Glory's arm and it moves only at his command. He laces his fingers with hers, holding her limp hand. "_Glory, talk to me._" She continues to stare, silent as a broken heart and he lets go of her hand, tilting her face up. "_I want to be with Jeeves._" Glory presses her cheek against his chest, soaking his shirt with tears and she rubs her eyes with her fists. "_One day, baby, but not now. You still have a long life to live and I'll see that you do live it._" He wipes her nose and rubs her heaving side, feeling weary. "_Darwin, I don't feel good. My stomach's sore and my chest feels tight and I just want to sleep._" She tilts her face up at him, blinking her brown eyes and Darwin stares down into them. "_Can't you bring them back? I thought you could do everything._"

The front door opens and Red and Tsugi step inside, as Darwin parts his lips to respond. Glory struggles off his lap and she runs to Tsugi, burying her face into her bosom. "_Big Bear and Badger are gone. I feel sick and sad._" Red touches the back of her sister's curly head and she takes her hand. "_Come, honey. Let's get you dressed into your pajamas._" Glory somberly followers her, leaving Tsugi alone with Darwin. He gets off the couch and walks into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge. Tsugi watches him, unsure about what to expect and Darwin places the open can down on the counter, turning to face his back to her again. He pushes the fridge with his hand and he punches it, resting his hands on the edge of the top. The strong leader puts his forehead on the cold freezer and Tsugi wraps her arms around his waist. "_The pain of losing a soul mate is unbearable. It's like being plunged into Hell, weaponless. We need you to guide us through the flames, Darwin. We need you to be strong for us._"

She feels him nod and he puts his forehead on his folded forearms. "_Do you know what Glory said to me before you and Red came in? She wondered why I couldn't bring them back, if I could do everythin'._" He turns around, dropping his arms and Tsugi steps back, averting her eyes. "_Glory's just trying to cope with what happened in her own way._" Darwin grabs his beer and drains half of it into his system, resting his back against the fridge. He looks out the kitchen window, staring at Lester's garden. "_The last thing Lester and I spoke about was you. He was goin' on about how beautiful you are, how he can't wait for the county fair to come to town so he could win you a stuffed animal and how he was hopin' to sell some of his homemade sauce._" Darwin continues to talk and Tsugi closes her eyes, flinching at what will never be. "_Darwin, I'm pregnant._" The beer can shakes in his hand and he puts it down, touching his forehead with his hands.

"_I was going to tell Lester when he came back. Darwin._" She touches his tattooed forearms, trying to get him to lower his hands and he looks away from her, losing a little self-control. Tsugi sees a tear slip from his left eye and it triggers her heart to squeeze. "_All of this is my goddamn fault. I turned my back on them and that's when it all happened. All of it happened so goddamn fast._" He tilts his head back on the fridge, blinking the tears away. "_I lost two of my brothers. I had to tell Glory that Jeeves can never come home again. I just found out I'm gonna be an uncle and Lester is never gonna know that he's a father. I feel like blades are swingin' near the last thread of my sanity._" Glory appears from the hallway and she's dressed in one of Jeeves' big shirt and it hangs on her like a dress. Red closely follows behind and Tsugi looks at her. "_I told him._" Glory looks up, glancing at all three of them in turn. "_Told him what?_"

Red sighs and holds Darwin's hand, looking down at the wide-eyed woman. Both of them glance at Tsugi, waiting to breathe again. "_I'm pregnant._" Glory's bottom lip quivers and she wraps her arms around Tsugi, sobbing in both sorrow and joy. "_Lester's going to be a daddy. He needs to come home._" The four mourning Tremors hold each other in the dimming light of the kitchen, letting their tears soak their shirts and they allow despair to sink its knife into each of them. Darwin pulls out their chairs at the kitchen table and he sits at the head. Glory immediately scrambles onto his lap, needing to be constantly held and he rubs her side, staring down at the table. "_We're gonna get through this together. Tsugi, we'll help you raise the baby. Your child will never want for anythin' and we'll stay strong together, as a family and we're still a family. Nothin' is gonna change that._" Tsugi stares down at her wedding ring, biting her lip and Red touches the back of her hand, holding it. Darwin looks at all of them and he scoots his chair back, grabbing a box from the top of the fridge. The wives look at it curiously. "_What's this, Chief?_"

He lifts the lid off and he takes out two labeled videos tapes, placing one near Tsugi and one in Glory's hands. "_Near the end of every month, the three of us recorded a video of ourselves, in case somethin' happened._" Glory and Tsugi stare down at their tapes and Glory grabs hers, jumping off of Darwin's lap. She runs into the living room and puts the tape in the VCR, turning the television on. Everyone follows and Darwin, Tsugi and Red sit on the couch, staring at the buzzing screen. Glory sits on the floor, close to the television and she presses play. Jeeves, the youngest, but biggest brother, appears on the screen. He's sitting on his bed with his thick arm wrapped around Tedders and he rubs his thigh. Glory wipes her eyes, hugging the remote control to her chest.

"_Hi, Honey Girl._" Jeeves shows his famous grin and he rubs his muscular stomach, blinking his blue eyes. "_Darwin told me it was important fer me ta' make this video. He said that if somethin' happened ta' me an' I couldn't come home; I could still have a way ta' talk ta' yew._" His mustache droops, saddened by the idea. "_I remember the first time we meet. Yew were drinkin' ma' milk in the kitchen an' yew were wearin' ma' clothes. I didn't know who yew were, until yew said that yew were Red's sister._" Darwin holds Tsugi and Red's hands, taking deep breaths to settle the unmistakable ache in his chest. "_We got married on January 4th an' we spent our honeymoon in Paris. I found ma' soul mate, ma' other half. _" Jeeves reaches up, rubbing a scar on the side of his head and he grabs the tripod, dragging the camera closer. "_I hope yew never have ta' see this video. I wanna stay with yew an' grow old with yew. I love yew very much, Glory._" She touches the warm screen, patting the image of his face and she hugs the television. "_Big Bear._"

The screen goes black and her tears leave rainbow streaks down to the belly of the glass. She ejects the videotape and she hugs it protectively to her chest, scooting back with her knees bent to her crossed arms. Tsugi gives Darwin's hand a squeeze and she stands, kneeling down in front of the television. She sits on her knees and pushes the video in, lifting the remote control in her hand. She looks at everyone, eying them each in turn and she slowly presses play, taking a deep breath.

Lester, the middle brother, appears on the fluttering screen. The image of him blurs and it comes into focus at the touch of his hand. He sits down on the chair in the corner of his bedroom and he fixes his spectacles, lacing his fingers together. "_Hey, Lotus Blossom. If yer watchin' this, it means I'm dead. If that's the case, I just wanna tell ya that I love you so goddamn much an' I'm sorry that I let somethin' happen ta me._" He stares into the camera for a few seconds and he reaches beside him, grabbing a book off the dresser. He shows it to the camera, it's Loren Eiseley's _The Immense Journey_. Lester sighs, opening the book to its marked page and he massages the spine of the book with his fingertips. "_In that moment, the golden towers o' man, his swarmin' millions, his turnin' wheels, the vast learnin' o' his packed libraries, would glimmer dimly there in the ancestor o' wheat, a few seeds held in a muddy hand. Without the gift o' flowers an' the infinite diversity o' their fruits, man an' bird, if they had continued ta exist at all, would be today unrecognizable. Archaeopteryx, the lizard-bird, might still be snappin' at beetles on a sequoia limb; man might still be a nocturnal insectivore gnawin' a roach in the dark. The weight o' a petal has changed the face o' the world an' made it ours._" Lester closes the book, flexing its body and he looks into the camera. "_You were the weight my life needed an' ya changed my world, baby._"

Tsugi covers her mouth with her hand, tears coarse down her cheeks. "_I just started a new immense journey an' I wanna thank you fer the one ya gave me when I was alive._" Lester grins, touching the area over his heart. "_I will always love you, Tsugi._" His eyes sparkle with tears behind the frame of his spectacles and he shuts the camera off, the television screen goes black. Tsugi touches the area over her heart and bows her head. "_Wild One. My Lester. My life._" A shiver runs down her spine and she ejects the videotape from the VCR, running her fingers over the label. Darwin leans over, rubbing the bridge of his nose and Red rubs his back, wiping her eyes. "_God, this is so painful._" The lone Tremor brother stands up, feeling the heaviness in his chest weigh him down and he looks outside, watching it grow darker. "_Tomorrow mornin', we're all gonna wake up early and we're gonna have a small service in the backyard for Jeeves and Lester. It's best for all of us to get some rest now. It's been a long goddamn day._"

Glory rubs her eyes, sniffling at the idea and she climbs on the couch, curling up on Darwin's lap again with the videotape to her chest. "_Can we all sleep together? I can't sleep alone._" Darwin lifts Glory in his arms and Red and Tsugi stand to follow. The television is shut off and they all follow their leader down on the hallway to the last bedroom on the left. He slowly gets on the bed, minding his injuries and Red begins to light candles as Tsugi folds the sheets back. Glory nestles down against his chest and Red and Tsugi get on the bed, moving closer together. Darwin deeply exhales, staring at the shadows on the ceiling and he leans over, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. "_I promised my brothers that I'd take care of all of you and that's just what I'm gonna do. We're still a family._" With those words, everyone closes their eyes together.


	3. Unyielding Sadness

The hours pass slowly and they sleep through the night, their bodies worn down from crying. The loud chirping of birds wakes Darwin and he begins to lean up when Red touches his chest, urging him to lie down. He looks around, seeing that Tsugi and Glory are missing. "_They're in the kitchen, honey. Tsugi made breakfast and she's trying to get Glory to eat._" He closes his eyes, resting his head on the pillow and he blindly rubs his wife's arm. "_I'll get her to eat._" One of his devil-blue eyes open and his fingers move to the back of Red's neck. She lies down on her stomach beside him and he kisses her, sliding his hand down to her hip. Their tongues greet each other and she gasps when he slides his hand under her shirt, massaging her breast. "_Darwin, I love you._" She touches the back of his hand and he slowly rolls over on her, staring down into her mossy eyes. "_I love you too, Red._" Her hand drops down to the waistband of his pants and he leans closer to her face, whispering. "_Tonight._"

He slowly moves down her body, kissing her from her lips to her stomach and he gets off the bed, opening the drawers. "_I'll be in the kitchen with the girls. We'll be waiting for you, Chief._" Red kisses his tattooed shoulder and he softly spanks her backside as she heads out. He pulls his jeans on and buttons them, raising his eyes at his reflection. Darwin's gaze drifts to a picture of him and his brothers clipped on the corner of the mirror and he stares at the faded image. "_Good mornin', Lester. Good mornin', Jeeves._" He quietly says and he tosses his dirty shirt into the hamper, pulling a fresh one over his head. The bedroom door closes and Darwin walks down the hallway into the living room. Inside the kitchen, Glory pushes at Red's arm trying to duck a forkful of chocolate chip pancakes and Darwin clears his throat, catching their attention.

He moves into the kitchen and he lowers himself on his seat at the head of the table, patting his knee. Glory squirms off her chair and dives into his lap, kneading his thighs like a kitten. "_Why ain't you eatin', Squirt?_" Tsugi pours him some coffee, dripping some cream inside the blackness and Red sits down, watching Glory stare out the window. "_I'm not hungry._" Darwin picks up her fork and picks up pieces of pancakes, holding it to her mouth. She tilts her head up, leaning away. "_I ain't gonna get off this chair until you've eaten at least three pancakes._" Glory pushes at his chest, resilient and Tsugi sips her green tea, watching the situation. "_Look, darlin'. I know you miss Jeeves, but starvin' yourself won't bring him back. He would want you to live until you're an old woman. Eat for him and us._" She stops struggling and goes quiet, looking at Tsugi and Red with tired eyes. In a swift motion, she grabs her plate and fork and hides under the table, turning her back on everyone to eat what she can. Red squeezes Darwin's hand and they eat breakfast together in silence, waiting for the sun to rise over the mountains.

The four of them sit in the stillness of the kitchen and all of them can't help, but to look over at Jeeves and Lester's chair with a frown and trembling eyes. Tsugi looks down at her stomach, feeling her heart tighten and she gets up to wash her plate, staring out the window at Lester's garden. Darwin tilts his mug back, sliding the last drop of coffee on his tongue and he looks under the table, watching Glory pick the chocolate chips out of the pancakes to eat them. Fluffkins, Jeeves and Glory's pet raccoon, waddles under the table near her to investigate the sweet smell. He grabs a pancake off her plate and drags it away to the corner, smearing his face with melted chocolate. "_The sun is going to be rising soon._" Darwin looks out the main window in the living room, watching the colors rise in the front yard and he gathers the dishes, putting them in the sink. He glances at Tsugi at the corner of his eye and she silently washes the plates, avoiding his stare. Under the table, Glory hugs Fluffkins to her chest and he chirps when she squeezes him too tightly, his black paws waving in the air. She sets him down and Glory's face is smudged with chocolate.

Red licks the tip of her napkin and attempts to clean her and Glory immediately bites her forearm. The loud cry in the kitchen catches Darwin and Tsugi's attention and he pulls Red away from Glory, while Tsugi stands between them. "_She bit me!_" He looks down at her forearm, seeing it get puffing in one area and he rubs it with the palm of his warm hand, looking over at Glory as she struggles in Tsugi's arms. "_Let me go! Jeeves is supposed to clean me!_" Darwin takes her by the upper arm, gripping her a little hard and she stops fighting, blinking up at him. Tsugi and Red watch, staring at him with cautious eyes and he moves his face closer to Glory's. "_Close your eyes._" She fusses, but gives up when he loosens his grip on her and she slowly closes her eyes, taking a step closer to Tsugi with the idea that she's going to be punished.

Seconds go by and Glory feels a warm tongue against her soft cheek and it slides over her eyebrow, catching a smudge of chocolate. Tears caress her cheeks and Darwin catches them, cleaning her like his brother would've, if he were alive. Glory wraps her arms around his neck, pretending to smell Axe cologne and Red touches her husband's back, deeply moved by this act. Glory wraps her legs around his waist and she nuzzles his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed. Darwin takes Tsugi and Red's hands and the four of them head out through the back door near the edge of the cliff as the sun slowly rises in the fading darkness. They face the wild waves, smelling the salty air as it mixing with the smell of flowers growing in Lester's garden and Darwin stares out, unblinking. "_Who wants to go first?_"

Birds fly over their heads; the pet door sways back in forth in the morning breeze and just when silence begins to set in, Tsugi steps forward. She closes her eyes, letting the air comb her black hair and she softly sighs. "_Lester, I'm still having a very hard time believing that you're really gone. I fell asleep fast last night, hoping that I would wake up and realize that I was just having a long nightmare. But when I went into our bedroom to see your gear gone from the closet and the sheets still wrinkled, it was all the confirmation I needed and then the pain started to set in again._" She touches her stomach. "_I wish you were here to deliver our child. You would have been the first to hold our baby, to bring him, or her into this world and to look into our child's eyes and make that instant connection. I wish you were just here._" Tsugi hugs her sweater tighter around her body, wiping her cheek on her sleeve. "_I will always love you, Lester. We will be together again, one day._"

The three of them listen to her mournful words, on the verge of releasing thicker tears and Darwin takes out his handkerchief, giving it to Tsugi as she moves back to her spot. Glory clings tighter to her leader, not wanting to speak yet and Red takes three steps forward, raising her shaking hand to wipe a teardrop hanging on the tip of her nose. She touches her neck, caressing a faded bite mark on the curve of her shoulder. "_Samson._" Darwin rubs Glory's back and he looks over at Tsugi, seeing her lower her eyes again and he stares at his sorrowful wife, understanding that she just lost two of her lovers. "_No more early morning cartoons, no more puffy-cheek grins, no more crayon drawings, no more deep growls, no more Jeeves._" She wipes her eyes, feeling a little of herself slip under the waves of sadness and she takes a deep breath. "_You will always be my sweetest downfall. I love you so much, Jeeves._"

Glory buries her face into Darwin's chest, shivering in his arms and he looks over his shoulder at the sunlight outlining the mountains, turning them silver with hints of green and yellow. Red continues to stand in place and she touches the back of her right hand, placing her fingertips on a gold ring. "_Badger._" Tsugi closes her eyes, gripping the handkerchief in her hands. "_No more clever retorts, no more homemade concoctions, no more shining spectacles in the kitchen light, no more poetry in bed, no more Lester._" Glory squirms and Darwin places her down on her bare feet. "_I'll remember everything you've ever taught me. I love you so much, Lester._" Red steps back beside Darwin and he wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Glory rubs her eyes with her tiny fists and she stares out till her gaze stops at the blurry horizon in the distance. "_I want you to come home, Jeeves. I want to climb into your big arms and sleep on your stomach and make messes with you. I want my husband and playmate. I feel sick and sad and don't want to do anything fun until you return._" Her messy head of brown curls falls in front of her face and she rubs her nose with the palm of her hand. "_I love you, Big Bear. Please, come home._" Darwin comes to her and takes her hand, slowly moving Glory back to the group. The patriarch of the family turns to address the three Tremor wives, taking a step away from them. He rubs the back of his neck and the sun begins to rise over the mountains; turning his wheat colored hair to dark gold.

"_Today will be our first day without Lester and Jeeves and I know all of you are hurtin' because I am, too._" He touches his shoulder, itching the spiral tattoo on his warm skin. "_We're gonna continue to hurt for the rest of our lives, but we're gonna continue livin'. _" Glory holds Tsugi's hand and Red listens intently, watching Darwin take control. "_With Jeeves and Lester gone, that means that I'm your husband now and you're my wives and I'm still the leader of this family._" He looks at each of them in their eyes and when he looks at Tsugi, she averts her gaze. Darwin deeply exhales and nods to the door. "_Let's get back inside._"

The four of them slip under the shad of the porch and the door is locked once they're all inside. Tsugi is the first to break away from the group and she goes down the hallway into Lester's bedroom and Glory runs to the main window, looking out at the dirt road with longing eyes. Red leans against Darwin and he kisses her cheek. "_You talk to Tsugi and I'll talk to Glory. I love you, Chief._" She touches the side of his face, tickling her palm with his stubble and he steps into the hallway. "_I love you too, Ride Home._" With one more kiss, the Alphas divide to prepare themselves for long conversations and more tears.

Lester's door creaks open and Darwin sees Tsugi sitting on the edge of the bed with Loren Eiseley's _The Immense Journey _on her lap. He closes the door behind him and leans against it. "_I've been noticin' the way you've been lookin' at me, Tsugi, or should I say, the way you haven't been lookin' at me._" He pauses and steps closer, but she doesn't look up. "_Is there somethin' you wanna say to me?_" Tsugi places the book on the dresser, tucking her hair behind her left ear and she looks up at him. "_You said that you turned your back on them and that's when everything happened. I don't understand how Lester and Jeeves, two master assassins, could've been gunned down in a matter of seconds._" She shakes her head. "_What were you doing? Why didn't you protect them?_" Darwin rubs his fingers together, slightly agitated at the tone of her voice and her questions. "_If I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're blamin' me._"

Tsugi stands up and pushes him out of her way as she goes for the door and he grabs her wrist. She responds with backhanding him across his cheek and Darwin's eyes glow a deep, piercing blue. He grabs her other wrist and pulls her away from the door, pinning her arms against her chest as he bear hugs her from behind. "_Let me go, Darwin._" He tightens his arms around her. "_We ain't finished talkin'._" She makes an attempt to step on his feet with her heels, but he swiftly dodges it. Tsugi backs him up against the wall, between the bed and the dresser and he keeps his arms around her. She looks over her shoulder, glaring. "_This is what you wanted, wasn't it? You're the sole surviving member of the Tremor brothers and now you have three wives to please you._" He grabs her shoulder, stepping to the side and he slams her back against the wall, staring down into her dark eyes. He glances down at her stomach and she covers it protectively with her hands, a moment of silence passes.

Darwin sits down on the edge of the bed and he laces his fingers together, putting his hands between his knees. "_Relax, I ain't gonna hurt you._" Tsugi slowly sits down next to him and she keeps her hands on her stomach. "_I was killin' a security guard and I thought they could handle themselves, so I didn't keep an eye on them, but if I only turned around for a few minutes, things would've been different._" He rubs his forearm, caressing the weeping Jesus tattoo. "_I'm gonna have to live with that guilt and hurt for the rest of my life._" Tsugi leans against his side and takes his hand. "_I'm sorry, Darwin. It wasn't your fault. I just feel so lost and scared. I miss Lester._" He rubs his thumb against her wrist and he reaches over, taking the book from the dresser. "_Lie back, darlin'. Let me read to you._" Tsugi crawls on the bed and she lies down on her side and then Darwin lies next to her, propping the book on his chest near her hand.

He begins to read one of Eiseley's many stories, _How Flowers Changed The World_, the same story Lester quoted from in the videotape. Near the ending, he pauses, feeling wetness on his chest and he sees Tsugi wipe at her eyes. He rubs her shoulder and closes the book, placing it on the table. "_I believe Lester already read us the last part._" She places her cheek on his shoulder, lying still and he looks down at her. "_Thank you, Darwin._" He closes his eyes and she does the same. "_Let's get some rest._"

Inside of the living room, Red is rubbing Glory's back as she looks out the window and the dirt road never leaves her sight. "_Do you want some chocolate milk?_" Her sister shakes her head and Glory hugs her knees to her chest. "_No, I want Jeeves._" Red continues to rub her back, looking out the window with her. "_I know you do, honey. We all do._" They stare in silence, letting the morning drift into the afternoon and Glory leans against the glass, blinking slower until she eventually falls asleep. Red watches her and the bedroom door opens. Darwin steps out and he looks at the two of them in the living room, Red stands up as Darwin enters, lifting Glory in his arms. "_Where's Tsugi?_" He carries Glory to Lester's bedroom and he nods to the bed where Tsugi's lying. He places Glory next to her and tucks them under the covers, stepping back out into the hallway with Red. Darwin rubs his eyes, looking at the clock hanging on the wall as he rubs Red's hip. "_We should head on down for the cottage for the night. Tsugi will watch Glory._" Red looks into his eyes, seeing a sparkle there and he slowly smiles, the first smile he's shown since everything happed. She holds his hand and leads him outside to walk down to the cottage.

The autumn colors of the afternoon sky swirls above their heads and the crashing sound of the sea in the distance is soothing after such a long morning. "_How's Glory doin' with all of this?_" Red shakes her head, concerned and Darwin wraps his arm around her waist, hugging her to his side. "_She was staring out that window for hours and she didn't want to eat, or drink anything. I'm worried about her._" She looks over her shoulder, staring at the shrinking house and she places her cheek on his shoulder, continuing to walk. "_How's Tsugi doing?_" Darwin presses a kiss to the top of her head, walking slower downhill and he steps up on the cottage porch, grabbing the key from under the mat. "_She's goin' through the stages of depression. She blamed me for Jeeves and Lester's deaths, slapped me and then I ended up readin' to her in bed until she fell asleep._" He steps into the cottage and walks over to the hearth to build a fire as Red closes the door. "_Just like Lester used to._" Darwin strikes a match on the stone, igniting it and the fire begins to grow and he blows the match out, tossing it in the flames. He gets to his feet and Red wraps his arms around him from behind. "_What you did for Glory this morning and what you did for Tsugi this afternoon was amazing. I'm so happy you're here with us, we would be lost without you._"

Darwin touches the back of her hands and he walks to the hallway, guiding her there. "_Tonight's for you, baby._" She willingly follows him to the bedroom and he closes the door once they're inside, rekindling what was almost lost forever. Hours pass and the moon sails through the milky clouds, illuminating the cottage's worn roof and both of them lull each other to sleep with their charming whispers in a heap of sweaty sheets, holding each other.


	4. Dimming Star

Days go by and the four remaining stars in the universe try to continue burning brightly, but the littlest star has been dimming since day one. Darwin and Red take on the tasks of giving Glory baths, trying to feed her and Tsugi has been trying to get her to sleep in bed, instead of at the window. The brown-eyed woman has been slowly deteriorating, curling into herself every night to try and vanish into thin air to let go of the pain, but she still continues to exist, never wanting to disobey Darwin. As the end of the week approaches, Tsugi wakes up early to check on her and Glory is gone from the window. The tingle of worry rings in her chest and she runs down the hallway, knocking on Darwin's bedroom door. "_Darwin?_" The couple opens their eyes together and Red covers her bare chest with the warm sheets as Darwin touches his grease gun between the bookshelf. "_What's wrong, Tsugi?_"

The bedroom door slowly opens and Tsugi looks at the bed to see only the two of them lying there. "_I can't find Glory. She's not by the window._" Red and Darwin get off the bed, sliding over the same side to open the dresser drawers to get dressed. "_Tsugi, you search the woods. Red, you go down to the cottage. I'll search the house and go down to the lake._" Darwin opens the bottom drawer and takes out three walkie-talkies, tossing one to Tsugi. "_She's always by the window, Darwin. She's been spiraling downhill these past few days and her being gone isn't a good sign. We have to find her!_" Red buttons up her blouse, hands shaking and she grabs the walkie-talkie, quickly heading down the hallway to the living room. Darwin tucks a knife into his combat boot and he stands up to slide a belt around his waist. "_How long has she been gone, do you know?_" Tsugi shakes her head, worry growing in her stomach. "_I don't know. I woke up the same time and she wasn't there._"

He closes the bedroom door and they walk down the hallway together. Red exits the house and she turns on her walkie-talkie, opening the radio frequency. "_Darwin, I'm heading to the cottage now. I'll tell you, if I find her._" They fear for the worst, but the three of them split up to search for the missing wife. Darwin heads out the back to check the lake and the sheds and Tsugi walks across the front yard to enter the woods, hoping to find Glory there. "_Glory? Glory?_" She whispers, passing trees and she sees a dark shadow sweep past her on the left. "_Glory?_" She calls out again, but there's no answer. Tsugi continues to search, clipping the walkie-talkie to the waistband of her jeans and she sees a clearing up ahead. She moves behind a tree, scanning the area and she sees two small feet on a bed of moss. Her eyes close and she sighs, lifting the walkie-talkie to her lips. "_Darwin, I found her in the woods. I'll bring her back when she's ready. Tell Red._" Darwin deeply exhales on the other line and a little static occurs. "_Alright then, I'll tell her. Stay safe._"

Tsugi slips out from behind the thick trunk of the tree and she brushes the wet branches away from her body, walking closer to the found wife. Glory looks over her shoulder and curls into a ball. "_Leave me alone._" She whispers, slipping her fingers into her mouth with dirt on her arms. Tsugi ducks her head down, stepping into the clearing and she lowers herself to her knees, sitting on them. Her eyes move down her little body and she lifts the hem of her dress, seeing that Glory has scuffed her knee. "_You're bleeding! We need you to get back to the house. Lester can -_" She trails off, realizing what she just said and Glory looks at her, leaning up from the ground. "_But Lester's gone, too._" Tsugi nods her head and she leans against a tree, shaking the cold drops of water off the branches to rain down on them. Glory, like a kitten avoiding water, quickly clings to Tsugi, wincing when she rubs her bleeding knee against the dirt. "_I want Lester to come home with Jeeves. I miss Lester's cooking and bedtime stories. I miss the way he would take care of all of us and keep the shampoo from getting into my eyes. I want our family to be a whole family again._"

Tsugi reaches into her pocket, dipping a cloth into a puddle of clear water and she pats it on Glory's wound. "_Me too._" Glory closes her eyes, ignoring the pain as Tsugi cleans her knee and she thinks back. She remembers the time that she ran back to the house, frantic from escaping a hoard of angry bees. "_Lester! Lester, help! Bees!_" He opens the kitchen door with a wooden spoon in his hand and he drops it when Glory tries to climb him like a desert tree. He quickly steps back inside and shuts the door, placing her down on the edge of the table. She shivers, not wanting to let go of his waist and he reaches over for his spectacles, getting a look at her arms. "_Did you get stung, baby girl?_" She nods her head, soaking his shirt with tears and she lifts up her dress, extending her leg to show a bee sting on her knee. Lester kisses her forehead and opens the freezer, grabbing a bag of frozen peas. "_I wanted to put a red bow on their home, but then they started to buzz at me and then I felt something sting my knee and then I jumped down from the tree and ran back home._"

He grabs his medical kit off the shelf and opens it on the table, cupping her ankle to hold her leg up. He takes out tweezers and plucks the stinger out, placing the bag of frozen peas on her thigh to slow its side effects. Lester dabs a cloth with soapy water and he wipes the puffy area. "_Bees don't take too kindly ta folks that try ta improve their home with their own personal touches, darlin'. You be sure ta stay clear from them from now on, alright?_" He tosses the cloth on the lip of the sink and taps some antibiotic ointment on her skin; the oven dings. "_The cookies are done._" Glory looks over at the oven, smelling the fresh cookies and he walks over to it, taking them out with a mitten. He places a few on a plate and pours her a glass of milk, setting it on the table. "_You just sit yerself down an' let the ache fade away, Tidbit. The Badger's got ya._" She looks up at him, blinking her big eyes and she hugs him. "_Thank you, Lester._"

Glory opens her eyes and she leans away from Tsugi to look down at her drying knee. "_Let's go back to the house. I need more than rainwater to clean you._" She takes Glory's hand and they slowly head back to the house together. The kitchen door is opened and they step into the familiar light, a melancholy shadow looms over their minds and hearts from the silence and bland smell. Tsugi turns on the radio when she pulls out a chair and John Denver's '_Sunshine On My Shoulders_' starts to play. She flinches from the memories that it brings and Glory pats the side of her face, looking up at her. The two grieving wives look at one another, forming a connection through their sadness and Tsugi touches the back of Glory's small hand, lowering it into hers. "_I'll dab your cuts with some rubbing alcohol, cover it with antibiotic ointment and then I'll patch it with a band-aid to let it heal._" She nods in understanding and they sit in the kitchen together, listening to old country songs and when Tsugi is done, Glory hops off the chair to look at the empty living room. "_Where are Red and Darwin?_" Tsugi opens the kitchen door a crack and she looks out the small window above the sink. "_They must be down at the cottage together. We went to look for you and I told them that I found you through the walkie-talkie. Do you want me to tell them to come up to the house?_"

He brown curls bounce as she shakes her head and she walks into the living room, picking Tedders up by his stitched arm. "_Do you think I can be alone for a few hours? I won't do anything bad, I promise. I just want to be here with Jeeves._" Tsugi's eyes grow misty and she wipes at them as Glory tilts her head. "_Can you feel Lester to?_" The question squeezes her aching heart and it forces her to take a deep breath to relieve some of the pressure in her chest. Her dark eyes go distant and Tsugi touches her stomach. "_Yes, I can always feel him._" Glory hugs Tedders and Tsugi quietly exits the main house, giving Glory time alone.

Afternoon approaches, another one without Jeeves and without Lester and inside of the living room, crayons are scattered on the rug with a stack of white paper. Glory gets to her knees, minding her wound and she picks up a crayon and draws Lester in the kitchen near the stove and she draws Jeeves sitting at the table with her on his lap, but she scratches a black frown on her face. A teardrop lands on the brown wax of the table and she wipes her nose, crushing the paper into a ball. She tries to draw another picture and she draws herself in the bathtub with Lester washing her hair, but her curly hair is covering her face. She stares at it with her big brown eyes and crushes it into another ball, starting to build a pile of memories that were and memories that will never be.

Outside, the crickets begin to chirp, beckoning the night to come and a few fireflies start to blink in the tall grass. The cottage lights turn on and Glory gets up to wander the bedrooms, leaving behind a pile of paper balls with crayons worn down to their paper labels. She turns into Lester and Tsugi's bedroom and she looks through his closet, pulling out an old flannel shirt of his and she goes to her bedroom where she and Jeeves slept in. There is a king size bed against the wall and the walls are decorated with cartoon posters and on the tabletops are boxes of crayons, stacks of different colored papers, stuffed toys that they found abandoned on the side of the road and some of his gear that he didn't take with him. She rummages through his dresser and she tugs off her dress, standing naked without shame. Fluffkins wiggles out from under the bed and he rolls on his side, resting his fuzzy face on her foot like a pillow. Glory puts on Lester's flannel shirt and she puts on her husband's boxers, too big for her small hips. She grabs one of his belts and ties it around her body to keep it up and she hugs a blanket around her body, walking blindly down the hallway to the kitchen. She picks up a walkie-talkie from the stand and finds the right frequency. "_Darwin?_"

There is a brief moment of static and he answers. "_I'm here, Squirt. Are you alright?_" She stares at the containers of cookies, packets of hot chocolate, lollipops and she slips her fingers in her mouth, averting her eyes. "_I'm okay. I'm going to stay in the woods and I don't want anyone to come looking for me._" Down at the cottage, he has his arm around Red and he tips his head back, looking out the broken window up at the house. "_What are you gonna do in the woods?_" Glory wraps the blanket around her shoulders, draping it on her like a cape and she sniffles, shifting from foot to foot. "_Wait for Jeeves._" She softly whispers and Darwin pinches the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand when pain stabs through his body. Red begins to get up and he grabs her hand, shaking his head. She sits back down and continues to listen. "_Take the walkie-talkie with you and I'm gonna be checkin' up on your every two hours. If you don't respond, I'm gonna go out there to look for you and you're gonna stay with us, is that understood?_"

He hears the front door of the main house close and Glory nods her head, even though he can't see it. "_Yes, Alpha Wolf. I promise I'll stay safe. I just want to be alone for now. It's just that Jeeves always stayed in the woods to make the pain inside of his head go away and I just thought that maybe if I stay in the woods -_" She sniffles and Darwin closes his eyes, finishing her sentence. "_The pain in your heart might go away._" Tsugi moves closer to Darwin's side and she bites her fingernail. Glory steps down on the cool grass with bare feet and she wiggles her toes when fireflies greet her. "_I love you, Darwin. I'll talk to you in two hours._" He rubs his thumb against the device and he moves it up to the knob. "_I love you too, Glory._" Darwin turns the frequency off and places the walkie-talkie down on the table, rubbing his face with his hands. He touches the watch on his wrist, setting the time and he wraps his arms around Red and Tsugi again, staring into the fire.

Just then, Glory is stepping into the woods and the shades of the trees drops her body temperature. She hugs the blanket around her shoulders and she looks up at the full moon through the twisted branches of the trees, heading to the same clearing Tsugi found her in. The mud and moss buries her toes into the ground and stains her ankles. The weaker tips of the branches snap off in her curly hair and she opens the blanket in the center of the small clearing, lying down on it. She rolls on her back to stare at the moon, ignoring everything else around her and she thinks of her Big Bear, her Jeeves. She remembers their last conversation, the very last one and she places her hands on her stomach, touching her honey colored wedding ring.

She hears his deep, familiar voice in her mind. "_I wanna take a month off after our next hit ta' spend more time with yew. Maybe we can think 'bout a few things._" They're in the bathtub together, mountains of bubbles are around them and Glory's playing with a mermaid, combing her hair as Jeeves washes her hair. She turns around and covers his face with soapy kisses, happy at the thought of him staying at home and he nuzzles her nose. "_Yes, Jeeves! I want you to stay home because you go out on hits every other week and I start to miss you very badly. I have a hard time sleeping when you're gone._" Jeeves rubs her back and he wipes the soap away from her forehead, making sure it never reaches her big brown eyes. He looks down at her hands on his chest, covering the large tattoo of Hitler riding a motorcycle while flipping the bird. "_I was wonderin' if yew ever thought 'bout us bein' parents. Yew know, yew bein' a Momma Bear an' me bein' a Papa Bear?_" Glory's memory breaks when she begins to sob and her chest starts to heave and she rolls on her side, hugging her knees up to her stomach. She hugs the walkie-talkie to her, hearing her response to him fade in her mind. "_I've thought about it, too! Jeeves, I'm so excited! I would love to be a Momma Bear and you would make such a wonderful Papa Bear! I love you!_"

Her happy memory slowly lulls her to sleep and the minutes pass one at a time. The moon sails through the sky, the frogs croak and the light wind unsettles the blanket under her, wrapping it over her body. A few branches snap and she slowly opens her eyes, rubbing them. "_Jeeves?_" She unfolds the blanket, pushing it off her and she leans up, blinking at the darkness. A giant shadow moves to the left behind a tree and she stares at it, curiosity is tempting the kitten. "_Big Bear?_" She sleepily calls out and the shadow moves again and it slowly comes closer to her. Whatever it is, it's moving like an animal. Glory reaches out, shrouding her fingertips in the blackness and a voice is heard behind her. "_Glory._" She turns around and Darwin steps into the moonlit clearing, staring down at her. He lifts the walkie-talkie in his hand. "_You didn't answer, so I came to look for you._" She looks back and the shadow is gone, Darwin follows her eyes. "_What did you see?_" Glory stands up and she wraps the blanket around her shoulders. "_I don't know._"

She holds her hands up to him and he picks her up, tucking the blanket around her cold body. "_You can't stay outside all the time. You're gonna get sick, baby._" He presses his lips to her forehead, checking her temperature and he turns to head back to the cottage, holding her close. Over his shoulder, Glory sees the big shadow again and part of it enters the clearing. She raises her chin, trying to get a better look as Darwin walks down the hillside and all she's able to catch is black fur. When they reach the cottage, Red opens the door and she looks at Glory, touching her back. "_Thank God, you found her. Where were you, Glory? Are you okay?_" He sets her down and Red hugs her, feeling how cold she is. "_You're so cold. Let's get you warmed up._" Glory follows her to the hearth and she sneezes. "_I was thinking of Jeeves and I fell asleep in the clearing. I'm okay, but I'm sad._" Tsugi brings her a bowl of chicken noodle soup and sets it down, using a small towel to clean the cold mud from her feet. "_Eat something, love. We don't want you getting sick._"

Darwin moves to sit down on the couch near the door and he watches the littlest one fuss when they tend to her. "_You be sure to eat, darlin'. Women are meant to have curves._" Red holds a spoonful of soup up to Glory's lips and she hesitantly takes it into her mouth. The leader of the family continues to watch her and Tsugi stands up from cleaning her feet and she tosses the towel into the sink, walking down the hallway to fetch a sewing kit from the bedroom. Red notices how Glory stares at the bowl and she places it in her sister's small hands. Immediately, she drinks the soup with great hunger and Tsugi reappears, sitting down near the fire. She lifts Glory's borrowed shirt and removes the belt from her waist, threading a needle with some black string. Red kisses her sister's forehead and gets up to wash the dishes in the sink.

Tsugi begins to sew the boxers to fit Glory and she breaks the string with her teeth, putting everything back into the kit. Darwin gets up from the couch and comes to lie down in front of the fire, trying to get comfortable on the floor. Glory lies down near his side and Tsugi lies down next to her. Darwin holds up his hand and Red takes it, lowering herself down to her spot beside him. He wraps his arm around her to pillow her head and she touches his bare chest, staring into his eyes. "_Good night, ladies. I love you._" He kisses his wife on the lips, long and slow and they slowly fall asleep, letting another mournful night come to an end.


	5. Wilting Blossom

A month goes by. There were days of mourning, afternoons of memories and nights of silence and the pain of losing Jeeves and Lester was still on everyone's mind. Through that month, Red and Tsugi took care of Glory and watched after her when she would wander down to the lake and into the woods. Darwin started to clear out his office to make a nursery for Tsugi's and he's been going into town every four days to buy groceries and house supplies. In Lester's bedroom, Tsugi looks at herself in the mirror and turns to the side, lifting her shirt up to look at her stomach. Outside, she hears Darwin enter the garage and she flattens her shirt, going out to help him. He comes through the kitchen door and sets the groceries on the table. "_Good mornin', Tsugi. I bought you some fruits, yogurt, almonds and more healthy stuff._"

She opens the bags and helps him put the groceries away. "_I see that someone's been reading._" He shrugs his shoulders, opening the cabinets. "_I just thought I'd start buyin' you those types of food to help you._" Tsugi takes out a bottle of soap and she looks at it and then Darwin looks at her, closing the bottom cabinet with his knee. "_What's wrong?_" He begins to fold the empty tote bags, looking her over. "_You bought the wrong dish soap._" Darwin raises his eyebrow and she continues to stare at it. "_Dish soap is dish soap._" She shakes her head and opens the cabinet under the sink, taking out a half empty bottle. "_No, Lester always bought this one. You bought the wrong one._" She looks around, seeing the car keys clipped on his belt and she holds out her hands. "_Give me the keys. I'm going to return this and buy the right one._" He steps back and touches the keys, narrowing his eyes. Tsugi tries to grab the keys and he steps back again. "_You just calm down, Tsugi. I'll go down and get the right one, if this means so much to you._" She sighs, becoming impatient. "_You don't even understand. You're replacing his soap and soon you'll be packing up his clothes in boxes to store in the attic and you'll be removing his pictures from the walls and he'll be gone. You're not my husband and you never will be._"

Darwin stares at her and he unclips the keys from his belt, tossing it to her. He turns and places his hands on the lip of the sink, looking out the window. She consider saying something, but he begins to rub his fingers together and that's the only sign she needs that he wants to be left alone. Tsugi grabs the receipt and heads out the door into the garage, getting into the beat-up Pontiac. She eases the key into the ignition and slides her hand on her thigh, staring at the wall. "_It's already been a month, Wild One. Why do the sad days pass slowly, while the happy days past swiftly? It's not fair._" She places her hands on the worn leather of the steering wheel, looking at her black, lotus-shaped wedding ring. "_I would give up ten years of my life to have you back. I would do anything to have you back with us. We need you._" She closes her eyes; trying to calm down and knuckles knock against the passenger's window. Tsugi jumps and reaches on the side of the seat for the German officer's pistol for protection. Darwin opens the door and sits down, shutting it with his eyes averted.

Tsugi stares at him and he finally looks at her. "_I'm sorry, Tsugi. I should've been more understandin' about how you were feelin'. _" She takes his hand and he rubs his thumb against her wrist, lowering his eyes to her stomach. "_I should be sorry. I didn't mean to say those things to you. I just can't believe Lester and Jeeves have been gone for a month. It feels like it was yesterday, the pain is still that vibrant._" He nods his head, understanding that and he places his head on the headrest. "_All of us are reminded every single day that they're gone. Lester was always the one to do the grocery shoppin' and wash the clothes and tend to everyone's stomachs and wounds. Jeeves filled this house with laughter and he kept it warm with the wood he'd cut for the fireplaces and all the animals were fed. Now -_" He deeply exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. "_I'm buyin' the wrong things, the house is a mess and there's a mountain of dirty clothes formin' in the laundry room. The house is quiet, the fireplaces are bare and the animals are pickin' scraps off the floor._"

She touches the side of his face, turning his face to her. "_You're doing a fantastic job, Darwin. We're glad we still have you._" He glances at her lips and she slightly leans closer, staring into his vivid blue eyes. "_I'm not tryin' to replace anyone. I'm just tryin' to keep this family from fallin' apart._" Darwin slides his fingers to tickle the nape of her neck and he kisses her. His whiskey tongue meets her tongue and she softly rakes her fingernails down his chest, digging them into his shirt. He lowers his hand down between her thighs and she squeezes her eyes shut, bowing her head. Darwin moves back and she touches the necklace around her neck, a bullet she removed from Lester when they met for the first time on a hit. "_I'm sorry, I'm not ready yet. I know what I was getting into when I agreed to the Blood Oath; but-_" He kisses the back of her hand and rubs it. "_I understand, baby. There's no need to rush._" He looks at the key in the ignition and touches the door. "_Come on, let's get back into the house._"

Darwin gets out of the car and Tsugi follows him back into the kitchen. The rest of the groceries are put away and the tote bags are folded up and she sits down on the couch, lying down on her back. "_Where are the girls?_" He nods to the dirt road, grabbing a beer from the fridge and a bottle of water. He tosses it to her and she leans up, opening it. "_Red took Glory out for a drive and some ice cream. They should be back in an hour._" Fluffkins wanders in, looking a few pounds lighter and Tsugi lifts him up, softly raking her fingernails through his fur to scratch his back. He happily chirps and Darwin opens his beer, dropping the cap into the trash beside his seat by the hearth. Tsugi cradles Fluffkins to her chest, rubbing his ear to lull him to sleep. "_What was Lester and Jeeves like when they were young boys?_" He looks over at her, resting his heel on the edge of the table and he shrugs, tipping his bottle to his lips. "_There are many things I can say about them._" She softly smiles, a rarity in the Tremor house and he smiles back. "_Do you think you can share with me a few things?_"

He settles back in his chair, getting comfortable and he places his beer down on the floor next to him. "_Jeeves and Lester were real close, that's a fact. I was usually sightseein' when I was growin' up and the two of them lived here with Fritz. He was real hard on both of them, especially Lester._" He shakes his head, lowering his eyes to remember. "_The times I'd come home, Lester would have a black eye and a bandaged forearm and Jeeves was startin' to grow bigger and Fritz's hand and belt didn't really do anythin' to him when that began to happen. Lester was always protectin' him and he'd even take his share of the beatin'._" Tsugi blinks her eyes, lowering them, too. "_Jeeves always loved Christmas and he believed in Santa. Hah, Lester would dress up in a Santa suit and there was one Christmas where Jeeves stuck a mirror out of the pet door and he used it to angle it down the hallway to see Santa puttin' presents under the tree. Lester knew he couldn't just walk away, so he went down the hallway and he gave Jeeves his present._"

Darwin wipes his eye, catching a tear and he softly chuckles. "_Jeeves stuck his hand out of the pet door and he grabbed Lester's fingers and he said, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Ho-ho, I love you.'_" He pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut to force the tears back and he rubs his forearm. "_Those two were always together._" He tilts his head back, staring at the ceiling. "_They still are._" Tears fall on Fluffkins and he rolls off Tsugi's lap, shaking his head to ruffle his fur. She touches her stomach, looking at Darwin. "_Lester and Jeeves loved you, too._" He nods in response, unable to with words and he picks his bottle up, draining it into his system. The sun glares through the window and Tsugi touches her stomach, blinking her eyes. "_Are you alright?_" She places her bottle of water on the table and she winces. "_I've been having morning sickness._" Tsugi gets up and quickly walks to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She flushes the toilet, leaning back against the wall and she wipes her mouth, feeling her mouth tingle. The light bulb flickers and she rubs her side, trying to sooth herself.

The light bulb flickers again and she gets to her feet, unscrewing the cover. She picks up a towel to gently cup the fluttering light bulb and she screws it on a little tighter, placing the cover back on it. She sits on the edge of the sink, tapping her heels against the cabinet and there's a knock on the door, she glances at it. "_Come in._" Darwin opens the door and he touches her thigh, rubbing it. "_How are you feelin' now?_" She sighs, thumping her forehead on his tattooed shoulder and he softly chuckles, draping her black hair over her shoulder. "_I take that as a 'I'm pregnant and I have mornin' sickness, you sumbitch.''_" Tsugi softly giggles and leans back, hooking her fingers around the belt hoops of his jeans. "_How's the nursery coming along?_" He kisses her forehead and nods to the open door, taking her hand. "_Come see for yourself._" She follows him and he comes to a closed door, taking her hips to place her in front of it. "_Alright, close your eyes._" She takes his hand, covering her eyes with it and he slowly opens the door, leading her inside of the cool room. He kisses the nape of her neck and slowly moves his hand away. "_Open them._"

She opens her eyes and the walls are painted sunshine yellow and the window frame is white. The floorboards are new and shiny and there's a shelf stacked with baby books and baby toys and a yellow painted crib in the corner with a rocking chair facing the one window parallel to the door. There's a changing table in the corner with a bottle of baby powder, pacifiers and a stack of diapers. Tsugi looks around in awe, touching her chest and she places her hand on the soft blankets inside of the crib. Darwin leans against the doorframe, watching her. "_Yellow is a neutral color and I thought it would be good since you don't know the sex of the baby yet. I hope you like it._" She comes to him and he touches her hips as she presses her chest against his. She looks at one eye and then the other, searching for something. Searching for the same part of his soul that links him to his brothers and she closes her eyes, resting her forehead against his chin. "_I can see them in you._" He rubs her lower back, touching her pink lotus blossom tattoo and she wraps her arms around his waist, kissing his rugged cheek. "_Thank you, Darwin._" She takes his hand, placing it on her stomach and he rubs his thumb on her shirt, imagining the life growing inside of her.

The kitchen door opens and Glory and Red come inside from their car ride. Glory's face is covered in chocolate syrup and Tsugi pats his chest, going to them. "_Hey, Tsugi. How are you feeling?_" Red tickles her stomach and Tsugi bumps against her waist. "_I'm doing fine, thank you very much. Darwin just showed me the nursery._" Glory runs to him and jumps into his arms. He lifts her up and pats her backside, taking a look at her face. "_I swear; it's like magic how you get messy so quickly._" He carries her back to the kitchen and sets her on the edge of the counter, wetting some paper towels. "_I had chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup._" Darwin shakes his head, wiping her face to get the sticky mess off and Red kisses his cheek. "_Hey there, beautiful._" He playfully spanks her backside as she walks to the fridge and she whacks his hip with the back of her hand. "_Darwin!_" Glory starts getting restless being cleaned and staying still and she begins to fuss. Darwin winks at Red and he continues to clean Glory as Tsugi walks over to the hearth to build a fire, stacking wood from the bottom up. "_What did you think of the nursery?_" Red walks into the living room, picking up the afghan to fold it and she glancing at Tsugi. "_The nursery was beautiful. I was so touched! Darwin did an amazing job._" Red smiles at that and Darwin pokes at Glory's sides, trying to get her to smile.

"_Come on, Squirt. You're not allowed to get off this counter until you crack a smile._" She fusses more and Red sighs, placing the folded afghan on the top of the couch and then she walks to the table, organizing the magazines. "_If she kicks him, dinner's on you. If she smiles, dinner's on me._" Tsugi nods to agree and she strikes a match, tucking it under the woodpile. Both of them glance at Glory and Darwin in the kitchen. She continues to be resilient, trying to push his tickling fingers away from her sides and she starts to kick her legs, hitting him between his legs. He hunches over, resting his forearm on the edge of the counter and he touches his thigh, feeling knives of pain paralyze him. Glory quickly jumps off the counter and he grabs the back of her dress, yanking her against his chest. He pins her arms down with one of his and he starts to tickle her. She pleas and nips at his forearm. "_You're cheating, Darwin!_" By miracle, Glory giggles and he wraps his other arm around her, kissing her cheek. "_That's what we wanted to hear, darlin'. We've been waitin' to hear that for a month._"

She twists in his arms and hugs him and Tsugi and Red both sigh. "_I guess we both buy dinner. Does pizza sound good?_" Red asks as she's glancing through the phonebook and she touches the spine of the phone. Darwin closes his fingers around hers, wrapping his arm around her waist. "_Dinner's on me, baby._" He kisses her neck, lightly sucking on it to leave a little love bite and she reaches down, rubbing his thigh. "_You're about two inches away from bein' my dessert, Red._" He rubs her stomach, sliding his hand under her sweater and he nods to the living room. "_There's always tonight._" Darwin cocks his eyebrow and he picks up the phone, looking her over as she sways her hips like a tigress. "_It's gonna be every night, if you keep teasin' me like that._" Tsugi's gently elbows Red when she sits down, giggling and he turns to order dinner; leaving the Tremor wives to converse.

He hangs up the phone and opens the fridge, grabbing another cold bottle of beer. Glory sticks her feet close to the fire and she curls her toes, tilting her head back to look up at Darwin as he sits down in his chair. "_I hope you ordered an extra pizza with meat on top of it._" He softly chuckles, setting his beer down and he leans forward, rubbing her chin. "_You're gonna be up all night with a sore stomach if you eat a whole pizza, baby._" She turns around and shakes her head, looking out the window. "_It's not for me, it's for my new friend._" He follows her gaze and he looks at Red and Tsugi who shrug, following her gaze, too. "_What friend, honey?_" Red leans up from her spot on the couch, scanning the woods with curiosity. "_His name is Muffin! His really big and he's even bigger than Jeeves. His paws are big as my whole head, too!_" Darwin narrows his eyes, wondering if she's telling the truth. "_I know we have wild wolves in the woods, but I've never heard of one bein' bigger than Jeeves. He was the biggest thing on our land._"

A dark shadow moves among the trees and Tsugi grabs Red's hands. Darwin glances at the shotgun resting against the corner of the hearth, close to the window and he looks down at Glory. "_How close did you get to this thing?_" She shrugs, rubbing her nose with the palm of her hand. "_He doesn't come close to me, he just lurks in the darkness and I've never really got a good look at him. I toss him cookies and pieces of cake outside the window and he eats it because it's gone in the morning. It's not Fluffkins because he always sleeps with me._" They stare out the window together, looking at the foggy woods and headlights bob up when the pizza delivery boy stops at the gate. Darwin gets off his chair and turns the porch light on, punching in the code to let him in. The car drives down the dirt road and Darwin opens the door, pointing a Glock at him. The pizza boy drops the boxes on the porch and he raises his hands. "_Oh, God. Please, don't shoot me._" Darwin beckons to him and the shivering boy steps back up on the porch, keeping his hands up. Red softly laughs and Darwin pats him down, searching for any weapons. "_I ain't gonna kill you. I'm just makin' sure to protect my family._"

Darwin tucks the Glock under his shirt and he picks up the pizza boxes, shoving a hundred dollar bill against the boy's chest. "_Have a safe drive back._" He flashes a psychotic smile and slams the door on him, setting the pizza down on the table in the living room. The terrified pizza boy speeds off and Darwin sits on his chair, looking at the woods again. Glory turns to look at him with pizza sauce on her nose. "_Alpha Wolf, aren't you going to eat?_" He glances at her before looking out the window again, more protective than hungry. "_I think I'll just wait for dessert._" He looks at Red at the corner of his eye, picking his beer up and he focuses on the woods while the three women eat, quietly talking to each other.

Three pizza boxes are emptied and the leftovers are placed in the fridge for tomorrow. Glory yawns, stretching her arms and she takes her plate into the kitchen, opening the window. She tosses her crusts out on the grass and calls out. "_Muffin, dinner!_" Darwin turns his chair to the window and Red wipes the table as Tsugi rips up the empty pizza boxes, tossing the pieces into the trash. They all glance out the window, wondering if this giant creature really exists. Glory walks by Darwin's chair and he grabs her dress, stopping her. "_I want you to stay inside nighttime. I don't want you to wander around in the dark, not unless I'm there to protect you._" She tugs her dress from his grip. "_I mean it, Squirt. Jeeves would tell you to stay inside, too._" She pouts, stomping her foot on the rug and Tsugi rubs her back. "_You can still watch out the window._"

Glory tries to retort against Darwin, but she yawns again, lying down in front of the fireplace. Tsugi glances at the couch, silently telling him that she'll sleep there and watch Glory and he gets up from his chair, looking out the window one last time. "_You be sure to watch her._" Tsugi nods and Darwin takes Red's hand, leading her down the hallway. Tsugi lies down, covering herself with the afghan and she watches Glory until her eyes eventually close.


	6. The Return

Days slowly turn into weeks and weeks eventually turn into a few months. The family has been keeping a close eye on Glory and everyone has been whispering about the giant shadow, her new friend, Muffin. There's something different about this month, the atmosphere feels richer and the colors of the land seem more vivid with every waking morning. It could be that autumn is coming and the leaves are beginning to change color, but there's something else. Tsugi's down at the farmer's market, a place where Lester went every week to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and homemade trinkets. She carries a basket of fresh apples, stopping by a stand of knitted baby hats. Tsugi places the basket down by her feet, rubbing her rounder stomach. "_Good morning, Mrs. Tremor. How has the family been doing?_" She looks in the direction of the friendly voice and it's Maple, a cheerful middle-aged woman. "_Good morning, Maple. We're doing fine, but it's still hard without Lester being here. I think about him everyday._" Maple nods understandingly and she gives Tsugi's hand a squeeze. "_I can only imagine, my dear. When Darwin came to tell us what happened, all of us were in shock. It was so heartbreaking._"

Back at the main house, Glory's sitting on the porch; blowing dandelion seeds into the air. She picks them up one by one, blowing on them and she sees movement in her peripheral vision. Glory tosses the stems on the grass, dusting her hands on her dress and she flies her shoe off, seeing a familiar shadow. "_Hi, Muffin!_" She says out loud and waves and she covers her mouth, looking down at the cottage where Darwin and Red are spending time together. She slips her fingers in her mouth, trying to avoid the woods like Darwin told her to, but she stands up from the porch, shifting from foot to foot. Glory steps down on the dry dirt, facing the woods and she sees the shadow move again, heading deeper into the darkness. She takes a step closer, kicking her shoe along the way to use it as an alibi, if she gets caught. "_I'll tell Darwin that I was looking for my shoe._" She whispers, glancing from the woods to the cottage.

Tsugi continues to listen to Maple go on about how polite and intelligent Lester was and she looks down at the knitted baby hats, rubbing her fingers against the design. "_These are adorable, Maple. How much are they?_" Maple shakes her head, making a motherly fuss. "_Don't you worry about that, sweetie. Consider it a gift from me._" Tsugi smiles, touched by her kindness and she picks a tiny yellow hat, rubbing her stomach. "_I'll take this one. The nursery at home is yellow and this would match. Do you have this one in another color?_" She keeps her eyes down, waiting for a response. "_Maple?_" Tsugi looks up to see her staring to the right and she notices how quiet the farmer's market has become. Maple touches her chest and Tsugi looks at the others, seeing them stare in the same direction, too. They look like they're staring at a ghost. Almost afraid, Tsugi slowly follows their gazes to the left.

Glory continues to kick her shoe across the yard until she reaches the shades of the trees and she looks down at the cottage again, seeing Red and Darwin stroll down the beach. She quickly turns and runs into the woods, heading to the clearing to find Muffin. "_Muffin, it's me, Glory! I've come to see you, even though Darwin told me to stay away from you!_" She reaches into the pouch of her dress, taking out gummy bears and she hops over a log, stopping in the eye of the clearing. The sun glares down at her and she glances around to look for the shadow. "_I brought some treats for you today!_" She turns around in circles, trying to catch the dark cloud and she whips around, seeing movement near a tree. The sunlight blurs her view and she shades her eyes with her hand, watching the big shadow move closer, but something it different, it looks almost human. She stares and the frogs and crickets in the woods go quiet.

There in the farmer's market, as real as the tears on Tsugi's face, was Lester Tremor. He stares at her with his summer eyes and he slowly limps closer and she touches the edge of the stand to stop her knees from caving in under her. "_Lester?_" She doesn't believe he's real, not until he speaks. "_In that moment, the golden towers o' man, his swarmin' millions, his turnin' wheels, the vast learnin' o' his packed libraries, would glimmer dimly there in the ancestor o' wheat, a few seeds held in a muddy hand. Without the gift o' flowers an' the infinite diversity o' their fruits, man an' bird, if they had continued ta exist at all, would be today unrecognizable._" Her body shivers and the tears continue to pour down her face and she covers her mouth with her hands as he stands next to her. She slowly turns to face him and she lifts her hands close to his chest, slowly touching it. "_I missed you so goddamn much, Lotus Blossom._" She wraps her arms around his neck and passionately kisses him over and over, not wanting to stop. "_Lester. My Wild One._" Her voice is weak from crying and the tightness in her chest keeps her from screaming those words.

Glory squints her eyes as the shadow comes closer and the clouds drift over the sun, killing the blinding light. The giant shadow steps into the clearing and towering over her is a figure she never thought she would see again, Jeeves Tremor. Her brown eyes grow wide and he looks down at her with his arctic eyes. "_Hi, Honey Girl._" She screams and flies into his arms, covering his face with kisses. The gummy bears scatter on the ground behind him as she clings to his body. "_Big Bear! Jeeves! My Jeeves! I knew you weren't dead! I knew you wouldn't leave me!_" He wraps his arms around her, hugging her small body against his wide chest and he nuzzles the curve of her shoulder. "_I never thought I'd see yew again. I missed yew a much-much, Glory._" She erupts into tears, hugging him tightly and he kisses her, feeling her chest heave against his. Jeeves wipes his eyes with his large hand, holding her close in the clearing and he closes his eyes, sniffling. "_I'm home._"

Tsugi's holding onto Lester, still refusing to let go and he rubs her back. "_I'm alive, Tsugi. I ain't ever gonna leave ya again, I promise. Wherever we go, we go together._" She shakes in his tattooed arms and he touches the back of her hand, lowering it over the area of his heart. "_I'm alive._" Tsugi slowly opens her eyes and she leans back to look into his, seeing everything she's been missing for months. "_I can't believe you're alive. After months of mourning and tears, you're here. You're really here._" She kisses him deeply and he looks down at the table, furrowing his eyebrows at the baby clothes. "_Tsugi?_" She takes his hand, smiling with tears in her eyes and she places it on her four-month large stomach. An indescribable wave of joy and pride comes over him and tears races down his face. "_You're going to be a father, Lester._" He wipes his eyes and smiles, shaking his head in disbelief. "_Oh, my God. I'm gonna be a daddy. I'm gonna be a father._" She rests her forehead on his, wiping a teardrop off the tip of her nose. "_We were waiting for you, Daddy Badger. You have finally come home._"

Glory pats her Big Bear's face, resting her cheek against his shoulder and he cradles her in his arms, glancing at the house. A wave of memories crash into him and his gaze moves down to the cottage, rubbing his cheek against hers. "_Where are Darwin an' Red?_" She looks at the bandage around his right wrist and she kneads his chest. "_They're in the back of the cottage. Are you going to surprise them? Can I come? I don't want to be away from you ever again._" He walks to the edge of the woods, standing under the shade and he sees Red and Darwin splashing water on each other, laughing. Jeeves turns to look down the dirt road, wondering how long it'll be till Lester comes back and he looks down at his small wife. "_I want yew ta' wait on the porch. There's another surprise comin' yer way._" She buries her face into his chest, breathin his familiar scent. "_I love you, Jeeves._" He nuzzles the top of her head, walking across the yard with an obvious limp and he sits her down on the porch, kissing her until her back touches the warm floorboards. "_I love yew too, Glory. Imma be right back._" He licks her cheek and goes down the cottage, trying to avoid being seen.

Lester rubs Tsugi's stomach and he checks his watch, glancing at the road leading away from town to the house. "_Are the others all up at the house?_" Tsugi picks up the basket and he kisses her cheek, taking it in his hands. "_Yes, love. Darwin, Red and Glory are there._" She holds his hand, staring at him and he stares back at her, giving her hand a squeeze. "_I can't wait fer tonight. There's so much that we gotta tell ya'll._" Maple sniffles, hitching a loud sob and they look at her. She places a few baby hats in the basket, wiping her eyes. "_Lester, we're so happy that you're alive. You two go on home now._" Lester leans over the stand, giving her a hug and she pats his back. "_Thanks, Maple. I've never felt this alive in my whole life._" He grins and the two assassins head to the stolen car, getting inside. The engine rumbles, the car pulls back and they drive out of town, holding hands.

Through the back door of the cottage, Red comes in with a smile on her face and she's drying her hair with a towel veiled over her eyes. She turns blindly into the kitchen and opens the fridge, staring into it to decide what to drink. In the corner, Jeeves is watching her and he looks down at the loose floorboard, the one he would only step on. He puts pressure on it and it creaks. Red freezes, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up in fear and she slowly turns around, dropping the towel on the floor. "_Hi, Red._" He comes closer, towering over her and he sees the look in her eyes that he's only seen in people that are about to faint. Jeeves wraps his arms around her and she collapses into them, tilting her head back as her body goes limp. He lifts her easily like she weighed nothing and he carries her to the couch against the window, lying her down. "_Delilah?_" He nudges her cheek with his nose and he rubs his cheek against hers, trying to revive her like an animal would.

Up at the main house, Glory stares at the dirt road and she glances down at the cottage, using all the strength inside of her to stop herself from running down there to be with Jeeves. An unfamiliar engine roars down the path and she ducks under the porch, staring at the rolling tires. Two doors open and Tsugi steps out, shutting the door behind her. "_She must be inside. Let me check._" Glory thinks that they might be sending her away somewhere because they can no longer take care of her, like what happed before she came to live here and Tsugi walks up the steps, entering the house to look for her. The little woman slips her fingers in her mouth and as the boots come closer; a tattooed hand comes into view. "_Badger?_" Glory wiggles out from her hiding spot and she tackles Lester to the ground, covering his face with kisses. "_Lester! You're alive! I missed you so much! I thought Tsugi brought someone to take me away because I was afraid that everyone couldn't take care of me anymore!_" He chuckles, wrapping his arms around her and he gets to his feet, swinging her around. "_I missed you like crazy, Tidbit! Tsugi wouldn't do a thing like that. We just wanted ta surprise you. I feel like the happiest man alive!_" Tsugi leans against the doorframe, watching them with a beaming smile.

Darwin walks in from outside, drying himself off and he heads down the hallway, glancing in the rooms. "_What's the hold up, baby? Are you alright?_" He stops dead in his tracks when he comes face to face with Jeeves, lowering the towel from his shoulder. Darwin's blue eyes glow and he comes closer to his baby brother, staring up at him. "_You're dead. I saw you die._" Jeeves holds up his fist, showing Darwin the bandage around his wrist where Ivy shot him. "_Nothin' can kill a Tremor, remember?_" Darwin softly chuckles, the cheerful sound is caught in his throat by a lump and he nods his head, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. "_I remember._" He closes them, resting his forehead on his brother's shoulder and Jeeves wraps his arms around him. Darwin shakes his head, recalling something and he looks up at him. "_Jeeves, do you forgive me? I left you and Lester at the Nomad. I just left the two of you there and I got out._" Jeeves touches the back of his head, grinning. "_There's nothin' ta' forgive, Dar. Someone had ta' come back home ta' take care of our women. Speakin' of women -_" He trails off and steps to the side, looking down at Red.

Lester cradles Glory against his chest, rocking her back and forth on the porch steps and Glory wipes her tearstained face on his shirt. "_Big Bear's down at the cottage to surprise Red. Darwin's down there, too. Can we go down there now?_" Tsugi straightens up and she grabs the railing, leaning over to look down at the cottage. "_Jeeves is alive? Oh, my God! Please, Lester, let's go down there together. We need to be together as a family._" He gets up from the porch and Tsugi touches her stomach as Glory jumps down from his arms. Lester takes her hand and he takes his wife's hands, walking down to the cottage together. "_We're gonna be together again, the six o' us._"

Darwin's patting Red on the side of her face, dripping water on her forehead and he hangs the cloth over the armrest, patting the back of her hand. Jeeves looks around the cottage, rubbing his stomach and Darwin watches him, pausing before he speaks. "_I love you, Jeeves. I just want you to know that. I never said it enough._" Jeeves slowly grins down at him, touching his own thigh. "_I love yew too, Darwin._" The cottage door opens and Jeeves gets an excited look on his face, waiting for Darwin to see Lester. Glory jumps into her husband's arms, looking down at Red. "_Why is she sleeping? I thought she would be happy!_" Tsugi steps in, staring at Jeeves and he looks down at her stomach, noticing it immediately. Glory nuzzles his cheek and wiggles out of his arms. Jeeves touches Tsugi's lower back, tracing the tattoo he's seen so many times and he touches her stomach with his other hand. "_Tsugi, yer gonna be a momma?_" She kisses his cheek, resting hers on his chest. "_You're going to be an uncle, Jeeves._"

Lester walks in and Jeeves touches the back of his head, hugging him against his chest. Lester pats his large back, feeling suffocated. "_I know, Jeevesie. I know. You got no idea how happy I am right now._" Jeeves wipes his eyes and Lester turns to see Darwin rising up from the floor. "_Hey, Dar. Long time no see._" Darwin chuckles and wraps his arms around him, closing his eyes. "_You sumbitch, I can't believe the two of you are here. Lester, listen -_" Darwin begins and Lester shakes his head. "_You don't need ta say anythin' ta me, I understand. Tsugi told me what ya did fer her an' Glory an' Red when we were gone. You really are our leader. I just hope you didn't burn down my kitchen._" Glory touches Red's face and she tugs on Lester's hand. "_Lester, what's wrong with Red?_" He looks down at her and he heads into the kitchen, grabbing a medical kit from the cabinet. He takes out smelling salt and waves it under her nose.

Red's eyebrows wrinkle and her greens eyes snap open to see Lester staring down at her. He takes her hand and she slowly sits up, seeing Jeeves look down at her, too. She wonders, for a moment, if she went insane, but then she sees Tsugi, Darwin and Glory standing among them. Her chest tightens, hardly able to believe that the two men that she's been mourning for months; are right in front of her. "_Lester? Jeeves?_" Her eyes fill with tears and she wraps her arms around them, kissing their cheeks back and forth. Her body shivers in their embrace and she leans back, wiping her eyes to look around the room. "_We're together again. The Universe Of Six is together again._" Her words tremble as they leave her lips and she hugs them again.

This is why the atmosphere felt different this month and this is why the colors were more vivid with every sunrise, Lester and Jeeves found their way back home, brining the lost wonders of their land with them. The six of the sit in the living room of the fire, holding each other and warming themselves by the fireplace. Darwin looks at Jeeves and he stares at the bandage wrapped around his wrist, remembering how he got the injury. He closes his eyes, watching his brother throw his head back to roar and he sees bits of his flesh fly up from his thigh. Lester's holds Tsugi, resting her against his chest and he rubs her stomach, watching the firelight shine on her skin. Red looks around, biting her lip and she wonders if she should ask the question that's on everyone's mind, worry what the details will do. She sighs out, inhaling a shaking breath in. "_What happened that day?_" Lester and Jeeves look at each other, both of them are skinnier and they look worn down and slightly weary. Darwin comes back from the kitchen, handing them a beer each and he sits down, opening his own. "_I didn't tell them what I saw._"

Lester rubs the back of his neck, trying to relax and he can hear the snap of his shotgun, feel the heat coming off his Glock when he shot a man on fire to put him out of his misery and he remembers flying back. He wraps his arms around Tsugi. "_We were in hallway with the elevators, killin' security guards that were tryin' ta stop us an' I killed about two o' them. I shot one fella that was on fire ta spare him the pain o' the flames an' I shot another fella tryin' ta escape. I snapped my shotgun open ta reload, but the man they were haulin' away shot me about eight times._" Tsugi closes her eyes, clinging to his arms. "_I flew back, shotgun went flyin' outta my hands an' the last thing I heard was Jeeves screamin' my name._" Lester sighs, looking over at his baby brother and he kisses Tsugi on the cheek, holding her tighter.

Jeeves frowns, lowering his eyes and he shifts around, trying to sit comfortably. He can hear his chainsaw shaking in his hands, cutting into the body of the guards below him and he remembers seeing Lester land on the wet carpet. "_I came at the man that shot Lester with ma' chainsaw an' I wanted ta' show him what I was gonna do ta' him by cuttin' down a chandelier. He raised his gun at me after I lifted ma' chainsaw over ma' shoulder ta' bring it down on him an' he shot me in the leg. I lost ma' balance an' fell, but I caught maself with ma' left hand._" Glory looks down at his leg, lifting his pants to see the bullet scar and she kisses it while Jeeves holds her waist. "_He shot me in the upper arm an' he shot me in the wrist. I landed on ma' chainsaw an' it ate up ma' right thigh pretty good._" Glory kisses him in all the places he mentions and he hugs her against his chest, looking over at Red.

She's holding Darwin's handkerchief to her mouth, shaking with tears rolling down her cheeks and he rubs her back. "_I found Darwin on the rooftop and I killed this man that shot him._" Darwin looks meaningfully at his brothers. "_Remember the fellas we shot on the way to the Nomad? Well, not all of them were dead._" Red takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "_Darwin was lying on his back when I got to him, but he wasn't hurt badly. I was relieved that he was alive, but when I asked where the two of you were, he just looked at the Nomad._" She remembers the way she felt, the horror that poured into her heart and mind and the sorrow. "_I ran over to see what was happening and I was listening to the news reporter. She said that there were signs of the two of you and the only things I saw was your bloody chainsaw and your empty shotgun with evidence tags hanging from them. I immediately thought the worse._"

Darwin lowers his eyes, remembering the way Red's mouth felt against the palm of his hand when she screamed into it at what she saw and he rubs the bridge of his nose. "_I told Red that we had to get outta there because we needed to get back home, that we needed to save what was left of our family. We spent the night at a hotel and it felt like the cheapest room in Hell because that what it felt like we were in._" He shakes his head, looking at them and he slowly smiles. "_We're together again and you two made it out. I promised that if anythin' happened to the both of you, I would take care of our women and that's what I did. That's why we have the Blood Oath in place, among other reasons._" Darwin leans back against the couch, tapping Lester with the back of his hand. "_This is the time to celebrate. Anyone got any ideas?_"

Tsugi tilts her face back, looking up at Lester. "_We could make a fire on the beach and have dinner._" Lester grins and Jeeves slowly gets up, lifting his wife in his arms. "_I just want food, I don't even care what kind._" Glory giggles and hugs him. "_Me, too! Let's go!_" Jeeves heads down the hallway to the back door of the cottage and he turns on the light, heading out to find a spot on the sand. Darwin and Red stand together and they grab a couple of blankets and pillows, following the hungry could. Lester helps Tsugi stand up and he gathers some steaks, hotdogs and sliced vegetables from the fridge and Tsugi grabs some paper plates, knives and forks. They head out to the beach and Jeeves feels something fuzzy brush against his leg. "_Fluffkins! Daddy missed yew so much!_" He picks up the pudgy raccoon, holding him high. "_Yer ma' special kitty. Meow!_" He enunciates the cat sound and Fluffkins chirps, waving his black paws in the air until Jeeves lowers him back down on the sand. "_He still has a fat!_" Glory announces and Jeeves wraps his arm around her, sliding her closer to him.

Night begins to settle into the changing sky and just like that, the three couples celebrate together. They eat the food they cook over the open fire, reflect back on happy stories and they stole glances from each other. When their stomachs grow full, they all lie down together on the warm sand looking up at the stars. Red points up, telling tales about the different constellations and Lester wraps a blanket around Tsugi, touching her stomach as he looks into her dark eyes. Glory cuddles closer to Jeeves and Darwin wraps his arm around Red as her voices drops low into a sleepy whisper. Darwin looks at his brothers, digging his fingernail into his thumb to feel pain and realize that he's not dreaming this and he puts his head down, slowly closing his eyes.

The waves crash below their feet, the sand is warm under their bodies and the stars softly glow down on them. What was missing has now been found and what was broken has now been mended. Jeeves softly snores with one of his feet buried in the sand and Glory softly purrs, curled up like a kitten in his arms. Lester has his arm bent to pillow his head and his other hand is on Tsugi's stomach with her hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat. Darwin has his arms around Red, resting his chin on the top of her head while she softly breathes against his chest and the three couples sleep peacefully through their first night together.


End file.
